Grille work



March 13, 1962 Filed Feb. 16, 1959 L. BLUM GRILLE WORK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

March 3, 6 L. BLUM 3,024,882

GRILLE WORK Filed Feb. 16, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. E0 35 01115 15711177,

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ATTORNEYS.

iltrited States Patent @fitice 3,024,882 Patented Mar. 13, 1962 3,024,882 GRILLE WORK Louis Blum, Pittsburgh, Pa, assignor to Blurncraft of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa., a firm Filed Feb. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 793,321 4 Claims. (Cl. 189-82) This invention relates to structural grilles or panels and more specifically to structural grilles used in connection with railings, room dividers and the like.

The use of panels mounted between railings or supported upon spaced vertical posts for railings are known in the art. In particular, glass, wire and plastic panels have been known and used in structural designs as shown in the catalog of Blumcraft of Pittsburgh, Sweets Catalog File, Architectural, 1954, Section (e), Subsection BLU, pages 8 and 9. Certain novel panel structures are shown in my Patent No. 2,873,094. This invention is an improvement over the invention disclosed and claimed in that application. It is the primary purpose and object of this invention to provide a structural grille which presents a face comprising a large number of individual facets projecting from the plane of the supporting structure for the grille.

It is also an object of this invention to provide structural grille work characterized by the construction and appearance of depth which can be easily and securely assembled from individual parts.

It is another object of this invention to provide a multifaceted grille having the structure and appearance of a three-dimensional structure as distinguished from the planar structures heretofore known.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a multi-faceted grille based upon the assembly of interchangeable parts of uniform character which may be arranged in dilferent ways to produce diiferent and pleasing three-dimensional architectural effects.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a grille made according to the invention broken away to illustrate the relation between the grille and its supporting structure;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged exploded view showing the assembly of the parts of the grille of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view partly in cross section along the line IIIIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view partly in cross section along the line IV-IV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing an alternate embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a view partly in cross section and partly broken away along the line VI-VI of FIG. 5.

In describing the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, it is not the intention to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

As shown in FIG. 1 the grille 10 is mounted between spaced horizontal rails 11 and 12 which are in turn mounted upon spaced vertical posts 13 and 14. The ornamental face of grille 10 is made up of facets 15 which may be of any desired character or arrangement depending upon the ornamental characteristics desired. Facets 15 are supported in the desired spaced relation on vertical bars 16. Facets 15 are connected to vertical bars 16 and project from the plane thereof by connecting brackets 17. Connecting brackets 17 may hold any predetermined number of facets 15. For example, each facet 15 could, if desired, have an individual connecting bracket 17 or as illustrated in the drawings, two or more vertically spaced facets 15 may be connected to a single connecting bracket 17. The connecting brackets 17 are provided with T-shaped lugs which are adapted to fit within T-shaped slots in vertical bars 16. Connecting brackets 17 are fixed in place by means of set screws 18. Vertical bars 16, are, in turn, fitted to spaced horizontal bars 19 and 20 to which they are aflixed by set screws 21. Horizontal bars 19 and 20 are provided with T-shaped lugsZS which are adapted to fit in corresponding slots 26 in horizontal rails 11 and 12. The resultant structure as shown in the drawings is a rigid assembly of easily as-. sembled parts producing a multiplicity of facets spatially projected from supporting structure producing a threedimensional grille work effect.

One of the principal advantages of the invention is the ease and efiiciency with which a wide variety of ornamental grilles may be assembled from basic parts still providing a sound structure. In assembling a grille made according to the invention, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the facet-carrying connecting brackets 17 are slidably inserted in the vertical bars 16 in accordance with the predetermined pattern to be produced by the facets 15. When the connecting brackets 17 are in place they are rigidly affixed by means of connecting screws 18. The vertical spacing between facets 15 is determined by their relative positions on the connecting brackets 17 and by the positions of the connecting brackets 17 in the vertical bars 16. A plurality of facet-carrying vertical bars 16 are then assembled between the horizontal supporting bars 19 and 20 and are affixed thereto respectively in the desired spaced relation by means of screws 21. The grille as thus assembled between the horizontal bars 19 and 20 may be slidably inserted in the slots 26 of the rail members 11 and 12 where they are fixed in place forming the grille work as illustrated in FIG. 1. There has been found to be considerable utility in providing a wide variety of available grilles by the use of a limited number of interchangeable parts. The essential variety of the grille work is provided by the various types of facet that may be used.

One of the alternate embodiments of the invention is shown in FIG. 5 in which the facets 15 are projected in opposite directions from the supporting vertical posts 16 producing a double grille work effect. Any number of similar variations is possible with the structure shown and Within the scope of the invention. It is likewise to be understood that any particular ornamental design of vertical post, ornamental rail and facet may be used to produce any desired ornamental effect. The shape of facets 15 may be varied almost Without limit and certain particular facet designs producing definite ornamental grilles are illustrated in my copending design applications, Serial No. D. 53,441 filed November 19, 1958, now Patent No. D. 187,495 and Serial No. D. 53,443, filed November 19, 1958, now Patent No. D. 187,619.

It will also be appreciated that the grille of the present invention may be employed in horizontal sections as illustrated in FIG. 1 or in stairway structures and that the grille may be disposed between horizontal railings as shown in FIG. 1 or between laterally offset railings as is shown in my copending application Serial No. 623,260 filed November 19, 1956.

While in accordance with the provision of the statutes, I have illustrated and described the best form of embodiment of my invention now known to me it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the form described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims, and that in some cases certain features of my invention may be used to advantage Without a corresponding use of other features.

What I claim is:

1. In a structural grille for use with spaced substantially parallel railings, support lugs connected to and projecting from said railings toward each other, a supporting bar fitted to said lugs and spaced between said railings, means for aifixing said bar to said lugs, said bar having an undercut slot in at least one side thereof, an elongated connecting bracket having a lug shaped to correspond to said slot disposed within said slot and a projecting portion extending from said bar and ornamental facets, longitudinally spaced from each other, each of said facets being afiixed to the outer end of said projecting portion.

2. A structural grille comprising a pair of spaced substantially parallel rail members, said rail members having undercut longitudinal slots therein along the sides of said rails facing each other, a transverse supporting bar disposed in the slot of each rail member having a lug projecting toward the other rail member and disposed longitudinally of said rail, a plurality of spaced bars spanning the space between said lugs and mounted on said lugs at each end respectively, each of said supporting bars having an undercut slot disposed longitudinally along at least one side thereof, projecting bracket means disposed in said slots, said bracket means having projecting portions extending substantially perpendicularly from said supporting bars and grille panel-forming facets, each of said facets being separate from all other facets, each of said facets being connected to the outer ends of said projecting portions.

3. A structural grille comprising a pair of spaced substantial-ly parallel rail members, said rail members having undercut longitudinal slots therein along the sides of said rails facing each other, a transverse supporting bar disposed in the slot of each rail member having a lug projecting toward the other rail member and disposed longitudinally of said rail, a plurality of spaced mounting bars spanning the space between said lugs and mounted on said lugs at each end respectively, each of said spaced mounting bars having an undercut slot disposed longitudinally along at least one side thereof, a bracket bar shaped to conform to the undercut slot in each of said mounting bars longitudinally disposed in each of said mounting bars and a plurality of grille panelforming facets connected to said bracket bars.

4. A structural grille comprising a plurality of spaced substantially parallel bars, each of said bars having a longitudinal slot disposed in one side thereof, said slots being formed only in the sides of said bars lying in a common plane, a connecting bracket disposed throughout the length of each of said slots having longitudinally spaced lugs projecting outwardly therefrom and a plurality of facets separate from each other, each of said facets being fixed to one of said outwardly projecting lugs, said facets forming a grille face in a predetermined pattern spaced outwardly from said supporting substantially parallel bars.

References Cited in the file of this patent Great Britain Oct. 15, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. $024,882 March 13, 1962 Louis Blum s in the above numbered pat- It is hereby certified that error appear ent should read as ent requiring correction and that the said Letters Pat corrected below.

Column 2, lines 52 and 53 for "Patent Ne. D. 187,495"

Signed and sealed this 3rd day of July 1962,

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST w. SWIDER DAVID L. LADD Att flting ()fficer Commissioner of Patents 

